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This activity page will offer:
- The
opportunity to create a daily food record
- A
chance to calculate the amount of calories and protein in your
diet
- An
opportunity to apply critical thinking to healthy food choices
A
Diet Analyisis
Is your diet a healthy one or will it increase your risk for getting
certain diseases? How aware are you of good nutrition? If you're
like many people, you'll be surprised at the quantity and calorie
intake of the foods you consume.
Materials
Steps
- Make seven copies of the food reporting
sheet. Label and date one sheet for each day of the week.
- On day one, begin reporting each food item you consume. If
possible, organize them under the headings of breakfast, lunch
and dinner. If you need more space, continue the list on the reverse
side of the reporting sheet.
- Continue recording your food intake. At the end of day seven,
compute the total for each column.
- Compare your daily totals with the suggested minimum requirements*
for boys and girls age 12 to 15 listed below. Are you getting
enough of each nutrient?
| Calories |
Girls |
2,000-
2,300 Calories |
|
| Calories |
Boys |
2,600-3,000
Calories |
|
| Protein |
Girls |
46
grams |
|
| Protein |
Boys |
45
grams |
|
*These are average values. They should not be used as definitive
values. The actual value will vary widely depending on individual
factors such as body weight, activity level, muscle mass, metabolic
level, health, etc.
- Compare and contrast the nutritional totals of your diet for
each day. Can you observe any pattern in eating? How does a school
day diet compare to a weekend diet? When do you consume more calories?
When do you consume more protein? When do you make choices for
healthier food?
Questions
- Why might adolescent boys have greater caloric needs than adolescent
girls?
- Why is it important to have a balanced diet?
- Think about it. Where might a typical teenager get their required
amount of fats?
Online
Ads
As you are aware, the Internet offers all sorts
of information. To use this information wisely, one must critically
examine the posting content and underlying philosophy of the site.
Search the Internet for commercial diet sites. Select several sites.
Analyze their pages for unbiased information, assumptions and hidden
agendas. What are they selling? Is their information valid?
Finding
Nutrients
What foods contain the highest percentages of carbohydrates, proteins,
and fats? Use Internet and print resources to uncover the common
dietary sources for these nutrients. Does an individual's economic
status effect the sources? Explain.
Balance
Point
As you learned in this segment, people seem to be programmed to
a general weight set point. Once an intense dieting regimen ends,
people are likely to return to their pre-diet weight. How could
you communicate this concept using an ordinary ruler balanced on
a fulcrum (like a seesaw)?
Diet
Ad Index
What
is the ratio of diet advertisements to other types of ads in magazines?
Examine an assortment of magazines that specialize in topics such
as sports, news, self-help, fashion, celebrities, and homes. Record
the total number of ads and those that specifically pertain to diet.
Calculate a ratio of diet:total ads for each magazine. Create a
class chart based on your findings that identifies how each magazine
fits into this range.
Web
Connection
Food
and nutrition information center
Food and nutrition center website run by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic
Fast
Food and Calories
A unique calorie counting site that lets you select familiar food
items from national fast-food restaurants
http://www.chowbaby.com/10_2000/
fastfood/fast_food_nutrition.asp
Dieting
Review
An easy-to-use website that offers information on dozens of diets,
nutrition facts, and online weight-loss tools.
http://www.dieting-review.com/
Academic
Advisors for this Guide:
Suzanne Panico, Science Teacher Mentor, Cambridge Public Schools,
Cambridge, MA
Anne E. Jones, Science Department, Wayland Middle School, Wayland,
MA
Gary Pinkall, Middle School Science Teacher, Great Bend Public Schools,
Great Bend, KS
Cam Bennet Physics/Math Instructor Dauphin Regional Comprehensive
Secondary School Dauphin, MB Canada
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